Rail retaining member



' R. FARIES ET AL RAIL RETAINING IEMBER Filed Jan. 10, 1931 May 26, 1931.

2 Sheets-Sheet I 1 FIG I.

INVENTORS. ifobei'i 7 221168 6:.

BY r6252 W ATTORNEYS.

May 26, 1931. V R. FARIES ETAL 1,807,204

RAIL RETAINING IEIIBER Filed Jan. 10, 1931- 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-.lff.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented May 26, 1931 PATENT Fries ROBERT FARIES, OF ST. DAVIDS, AND ROBERT H. BOYD, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA RAIL RETAINING MEMBER Application filed January 10, 1931.

This invention relates to rail retaining members and more particularly to associated parts used in combination for retaining rails upon tie plates. In using the term tie plate herein, we mean to include any form of plate,

tie, or foundation, upon which the base of a rail is adapted to rest or to be secured.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a form of tie plate and as sociated parts of simple and iner pensive manufacture, including a rail retaining key, which when used in combination will enable rails to be quickly and readily assembled upon their supporting tie plates and to be removed with equal facility.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide means whereby the position of the rail retaining key with respect to the flange of the rail may be varied to afford selectively 39 either an intimate wedging engagement, contact without actual wedging engagement, or clearance between the rail and the retaining key. To this end we provide an abutment adapted to hold the rail retaining member against lateral displacement, and we provide means whereby the spacing of this abutment from the rail edge may be varied to satisfy the desired conditions.

The invention is further characterized by including among the associated parts which serve to hold the rail upon a tie plate, a spike, or other equivalent fastening means, which serves to secure the tie plate upon the underlying tie. Other objects and advantages more fully apparent from the description hereinafter of several embodiments or examples of the invention, the description having reference to the accompanying drawings,

V spect to the rail may be varied.

characterizing our invention will become.

Serial No. 507,823.

to an underlying tie 4 by means of spikes 5.

Adjacent to the outside edges of the base flange 2, the tie plate 3 is provided with upstanding ribs 6 which are preferably so spaced from each other as to accommodate between them the base of a standard size rail. Each rib 6 is transversely perforated at 7 to accommodate a retaining key 8. In the example shown in Figs. I, II and III, the perforations 7 constitute openings of rectangular cross section with upper and lower surfaces inclined to parallel the tapered surfaces 9 at the sides of the tie plate base. The retaining keys 8 are bent to conform to the contour of the surfaces upon which they bear. Accordingly the retaining keys 8 impinge upon the base flange 2 of the rail at an angle to the slopes of the rail flange so that when wedged inwardly the ends of the retaining keys are forced into intimate contact with the rail flange.

Diagonal slots 10 are provided at opposite sides of the tie plate 3 to accommodate the rail spikes 5. The slots 10 an ord surfaces inclined to the longitudinal axis of the rail so that the spacing of the rail spikes 5 with re- The rail spikes, which may obviously take a variety of forms, serve not only to secure the tie plate 3 upon the tie 4, but they also act as abutments for the ends of the retaining keys 8 and hold the retaining keys against lateral displacement.

It will be particularly noted that the arrangement described affords a ready adjust ment of the position of the retaining keys 8 with respect to rail flange 2. If it is desired to provide an intimate wedging engagement between the retaining keys and the rail flange, the spikes 5 are driven into the ends of the diagonal slots 10 which are nearest the rail. If it is desired to provide less intimate engagement or clearance between the retaining keys and the rail flange, the spikes 5 are driven into the center or the opposite ends of the slots 10. Accordingly, it is not necessary to manufacture the tie plates and retaining members with accurate dimensions and machined surfaces in order to obtain substantial uniformity throughout a length of track with respect to the allowed movement of the rails upon their ties.

In Figs. IV, V and VI there is shown a substantially similar arrangement in which a modified form of rib 6a is used. The ribs 6a are perforated at 7 a to accommodate a retainingmember 8a. of wedge-shaped cross section. Vertical displacement of the retaining members 8a is prevented by the inclined surfaces 11 of the ribs 6a. Lateral displacement of the retaining members 8a is prevented by the spikes 5 which are inserted within slots 10 of the tie plate 366 according to the manner previously described.

lVhile we have described two arrangements illustrating the practice of our invention, it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form of the apparatus described without departing from the spirit of our invention. For example, equivalent means may be substituted for the rail spil;es,.and the form of the tie plates and retaining keys admits of obvious variations which are Within the contemplated scope of the annexed claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In combination, a rail, a tie plate having a slot therein and havinga rib between said Slot and the rail fiange, a retaining member passing through said rib to a position above the rail flange, and a spike passing through the slot in said tie plate and adapted to hole said retaining member against lateral displacement, said tie plate having at said slot a surface inclined to the longitudinal axis of the rail.

2. In combination, a rail, :1 tie plate having a base portion with a riot therein, and an upstanding perforated rib between said slot and the rail flange, a retaining member passing through the perforation in said rib to a position above the rail flange and held by said rib against vertical displacement, and a spike passing through the slot in said tie plate and adapted to hold said retaining member against lateral displacement, said tie plate having at said slot at surface inclined to the longitudinal axis of the rail.

3. In combination, a rail, a tie, a tie plate on said tie having a base portion with a slot therein inclined tothe longitudinal axis of the rail and having a-perforated rib between said slot and the rail flange, a retaining member passing through said perforated rib to a position above the rail flange, and means for securing said tie plate to the underlying tie, said means passing through the slot aforesaid and affording an abutment for said retaining member to prevent its lateral displacement.

4. In combination, a rail, a tie, a tie plate on said tie having a base portion with a slot therein inclined to the longitudinal axis of the rail and having a perforated rib between said slot and the rail flange, a retaining member passing through said perforated rib to a position above the rail flange, and a spike for securing said tie plate to the underlying tending above the rail flange, and a spike passing through the slot aforesaid and adapted to hold said retaining member against lateral displacement.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our names at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 7th day of January, 1931.

' ROBERT FARIES.

ROBERT I-I. BOYD. 

